The Boston Celtics earned a hard-fought 134-129 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden, snapping their seven-game win streak.
Kyrie Irving led the way with 30 points, 11 assists and four rebounds on a scorching 14-of-19 shooting from the field, with seven other teammates scoring in double figures.
Marcus Morris added 19 points and seven rebounds, Al Horford had 17 points and nine rebounds and Marcus Smart chipped in 18 points and seven assists.
☘️ @KyrieIrving scores 30 PTS (14-19 FGM) and drops 11 dimes, lifting the @celtics over OKC for their 4th straight win! #CUsRise pic.twitter.com/6rnB4JXcSW
— NBA (@NBA) February 3, 2019
Boston look their best when the ball is moving and today was no different as they racked up 36 assists on 54 made field goals, getting plenty of good looks as they shot 59% from the field.
Irving scored 20 of his 30 points in the first half, slicing through the Thunder's fourth-ranked defence and getting to the rim at will as they struggled to stay in front of him.
Boston took a 66--58 lead into the half, before the Thunder made their move, opening the third quarter on an 18-7 run to take the lead. Boston immediately responded, with an 18-6 run of their own, with two triples from Smart and one from Morris giving them some breathing space, leading 99-93 heading into the fourth.
With the game in the balance, again it was Irving with the hot hand as he scored six late points down the srtretch, sealing the win with an impressive defensive play, stripping the ball from Russell Westbrook, with Boston holding a two-point lead with 10 seconds to go.
Westbrook recorded his sixth triple-double in a row with 22 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds, while Paul George continued his high-scoring form, dropping 37 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Boston are now 9-1 over their past 10 games, winning their past four in a row. With today's win, they sweep the season series with OKC after winning in Oklahoma City back in October.
